TAMPA — Ben Rice’s Future as Catcher

Ben Rice isn’t ready to ditch his catcher’s gear just yet.

Manager Aaron Boone has mentioned that Rice will primarily fill the role of the Yankees’ first baseman this season. However, with veteran Paul Goldschmidt rejoining the team, Rice could find himself starting more often than initially planned.

“We still view Rice as a star and a key player for the future,” Boone shared on MLB Network Radio’s SiriusXM. He added, “Before we brought Goldschmidt back, we viewed Rice as our third catcher behind Austin Wells and J.C. Escarra. This gives us some security for late-game offensive shifts. It might let him catch a bit more, though I don’t anticipate it often. Left-handed pitchers can be tough, so having Goldie helps, but we also believe Ben can compete against lefties.”

“Yes, it complicates things a bit, but adding quality players like Goldschmidt felt necessary for our roster.”

Boone noted that Goldschmidt may not be, um, a perfect fit. A right-handed outfielder would’ve been more beneficial given the roster’s composition, but they felt that acquiring the best free-agent option was worthwhile to balance their lefties.

Last season, Goldschmidt excelled against left-handed pitching with a .981 OPS. Still, the Yankees want Rice, a left-handed batter who started 46 games at first, 26 behind the plate, and 48 as DH last year, to face lefties again this season.

As reported, signing Goldschmidt to a one-year deal at $4 million shouldn’t drastically impact Rice’s playing time but might ripple through the rest of the team’s bench setup.

If all goes smoothly in spring training, the Yankees’ bench may consist of Goldschmidt, Amed Rosario, Escala, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Yasson Dominguez.

While Escala is expected to serve as the primary backup catcher, his role could change depending on how frequently Rice catches.

Cabrera and Dominguez are both switch-hitters leaning left, but the team might need Cabrera to fill in at shortstop back up for Jose Caballero, especially since he struggled in that role last season.

In the meantime, Boone hinted that Dominguez, along with top outfield prospect Spencer Jones, isn’t meant for a strict bench role.

“We don’t see either of them simply as bench players. However, there could be scenarios where they fit into a regular rotation,” Boone explained. “There’s still a lot to unfold before camp wraps up in late March.”